Method for forming three dimensional patterns in textile material



Feb. 26, 1957 F. M. SMITH ETAL METHOD FOR FORMING THREE DIMENSIONALPATTERNS IN TEXTILE MATERIAL Filed Nov. 7, 1952 Z5 42 Q Z J! 7 5 L 00000000130 1 J2 W .74 @zo 4 4 (9 a h w a 3 IN VENTORS FRANK :4. sum!LELAND H. SMITH ATTORNEY United States Patent METHOD FOR FORMING THREEDIMENSIONAL PATTERNS IN TEXTILE MATERIAL Application November 7, 1952,Serial No. 319,332

.2 C aim (0 It is an object of this invention to provide an improvedmethod and apparatus for the production of textiles woven fromthermoplastic filaments and having permanent embossing effects therein.

The above and other objects will be made clear from the followingdetailed description taken in connection with the annexed drawings, inwhich:

Fig. 1 is a schematic elevation of one form of apparatus for carryingout one version of the improved method; and

Fig. 2 is a similar view illustrating the carrying out of a modifiedmethod.

It has long been considered desirable to give to simple textiles theappearance of three dimensional depth of pattern. To do this, however,by any known weaving or knitting process has been exorbitantly costly.It has been proposed to impregnate a textile with thermoplastic materialand then by a hot embossing process to give the textile the requiredpattern in depth. The embossing has been done by means of an etchedmetal roll which is run against a non-metallic roll so that ultimatelythe nonmetallic roll receives a reverse pattern from that etched on themetallic roll. The difficulty here, however, lies in the fact that therolls must be kept perfectly in phase, one with the other, and yet mustbe maintained at an absolute, constant and very small, clearance inorder to accommodate relatively thin textile webs.

The present invention makes it possible to emboss a a pattern in depthon any fabric of whatever thickness provided the fabric is woven fromthermoplastic filaments. As used herein, the terms threads and filamentsare interchangeable as are the terms woven and knitted. The maximumdepth to which the pattern can be drawn has not been determined. -It hasbeen determined, however, that the depth of the pattern can be aconsiderable multiple of the thickness of the textile web.

Referring now to Fig. 1 there is shown a supply reel 10 from which a web12 of fabric woven or knitted from thermoplastic fibers such, forexample, as Dynel Orlon, Nylon or Dacron, is drawn. These are tradenames of certain synthetic fibers or filaments and are given merely asexamples. Chemical composition is irrelevant so long as the fibers arethermoplastic. This passes through the nip of a lower roll 14 and anupper roll 16. A metallic belt 18 passes over a guide roll 20 and entersthe nip of the rolls 14 and 16. The metallic belt 18 has a plurality ofapproximately A; inch diameter perforations rectangularly spaced atabout inch'center-to-center, though these dimensions are not critical.[A patterned web 22 such, for example, as fish net, chicken wire, or

the like, passes over a guide roll 24 and enters the nip of the rolls 14and 16 intermediate the metallic belt 18 and the web of textile 12.. Aweb of impervious material 26 preferably formed of a heatresistantplastic such as silicone rubber passes over a guide roll 28 and entersthe nip of the rolls 14 and 16 to overlie the textile web 12. Thecombined webs, that is, the belt 18 lowermost, next the patterned web22, next the textile web 12 and superdiscussed in connection with Fig.1.

r, 2,783,175 Patented Feb. 26, 1557 imposed on the textile web 12, theimpervious web 26 pass over a suction box 30 in the course of whichpassage the webs are supported by table rolls 32. The box 30 isevacuated through a duct 34. The width of the impervious web 26 slightlyexceeds the width of both the textile Web 12 and the patterned web 22and serves to deckle the edges of the metallic belt 18 forming a seal toprevent vacuum leakage.

A radiant heating element 36 overlies most of the length of the suctionbox 30 and is vertically adjustable as well as thermostaticallycontrolled whereby to regulate the extent of heating of the webs. Theevacuation of the suction box 30 draws the impervious web 26 into firmengagement with the textile web 12, pressing it into complete conformitywith the patterned web 22 while the heater 36 heats the web 12 toplasticizing temperature of the material from which it is molded.Clearly the impervious web 26 should have a melting point substantiallyabove that of the textile web 12.

The combined webs then pass between a lower roll 38 and an upper roll40. The impervious web 26 passes upwardly over the roll 40 to a guideroll 42 and thence back to the guide roll 23. The remaining webs passover guide roll 44 at which point the metal belt 18 separates from thepatterned web 22 and the textile web 12 and goes over another guide roll46 thence to the gmi-de roll 20. The patterned web 22 still inconformity with the textile Web 12 then passes over a series of chilledrolls 48 then over several festoon rolls 50. From the last of thefestoon rolls 50 the combined webs pass through the nip of a pair ofchilled rolls 52. As the webs pass between the chilled rolls 52 thetextile web 12 is separated from the patterned web 22 and goes to aWind-up reel 54. The patterned web 22 passes over a guide roll 56 thenceover a guide roll 58 and back to the guide roll 24.

Referring now to Fig. 2 there is illustrated a modified process andapparatus by means of which there may simultaneously be produced a depthpatterned textile and a similarly patterned film of plastic material.The film will be patterned much in the manner disclosed in ourpreviously filed applications Serial No. 193,639, filed November 2,1950, now Patent No. 2,660,757, and Serial No. 193,640, filed November2, 1950 (now abandoned). The present application is a continuation inpart of said applications.

In Fig. 2 a metallic perforated belt 18 passes around a guide roll 14beneath an upper roll 16. A patterned web 22 passes overa guide roll 24thence over the roll 14. A textile web 12 is drawn from a reel 10 andpasses between rolls 14 and 16, being superimposed upon the metallicbelt 18 and the patterned web 22. A web of thermoplastic film is drawnfrom a reel 102 and passes between the rolls 14 and 16, beingsuperimposed upon the textile web 12. 7

At each side of the machine a deckle strap 104 passes from a guide roll1% to the roll 16 and overlies the margin of the plastic web and themetallic web '18 to seal the vacuum in a suction box 30. A radiantheater 36 is located above the suction box 30 as in the case of Fig. l.The process thereafter is carried out as above The metallic belt 18 isseparated from the other webs at the guide roll 44. The combination ofthe patterned web 22, the textile web 12 and the plastic web 100 thenpasses around cooling drums 48 thence over festoons 50 and atchilledrolls 52 the webs are separated with the web 100 going to a reel 198,the textile web 12 going to a reel 54 and the patterned web returning tothe guide roll 24. In this case not only the textile web 12 but theimpervious plastic film 100 both receive the impression of the patternedweb 22.

ice;

web, woven from threads formed from thermoplastic material;superimposing said textile upon a porous web formed in the desiredthree-dimensional pattern; superimposing upon said textile web and saidpatterned web a web of impervious flexible material said web having asoftening temperature higher than the softening temperature of saidporous web; subjecting said patterned web, textile web and imperviousweb to vacuum, from the side opposite said impervious web whereby tocause said impervious web to force said textile web intothree-dimensional conformity with said patterned web; during saidapplication of vacuum, heating said superimposed webs above thetemperature of plasticity of the thermoplastic threads of said textileweb, thereafter discontinuing both said heating and said application ofvacuum While cooling the several webs below the temperature ofplasticity 4 of the threads of said textile web and thereafterseparating the several webs.

2. A method as set forth in claim 1 including the step of simultaneouslyadvancing all three webs during the carrying out of the process,

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,921,456 De Laney Aug. 8, 1933 2,352,194 Grabec June 27, 1944 2,354,916Hurt Aug. 1, 1944 2,559,649 Little July 10, 1951 2,585,915 ChavannesFeb. 19, 1952 2,602,742 Buskes July 8, 1952 2,660,757 Smith et al. Dec.1, 1953 2,675,053 Clemens Apr. 13, 1954 2,686,142 Cory Aug. 10, 19542,687,165 Hollis Aug. 24, 1954

